Not for everyone, Baten Kaitos is a complicated, innovative RPG best for an RPG gamer with an open mind.
User Rating: 8.2 | Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean GC
Note: For my reviews, 5 is average Bottom line, NOT FOR LITTLE KIDS! This game is anything but simple, it throws you into the original, complicated world with a tutorial only if you talk to some guy sitting in a forest. Even after you read that tutorial, you'll probably be thinking "What???" This is one of the most original yet fun battle systems ever seen. It is incredibly complicated and shows you no mercy if you fail to make a good deck. Yes, it is card based. Allow me to explain for half the people reading this review who didn't scream "OH MY GOD! YUGIOH" and leave. This system gives your character a deck of cards with an object on them. You will basicly use a sword card to attack, a shield card to defend, and a strawberry card to heal. Of course, it's much more complicated than that. You have to set up your characters' decks. At the beggining of a battle you will be given a hand of cards to choose from depending on your class level. I've heard so many people scream "OMG!!! The RAnDomnEZZ!!" but think about it. You get about five cards. If you get five cards that are all defensive, and you can't attack, it's usually because you put too many defense cards in your character's deck. If you get too many offense cards and can't defend. You need to take a deep breath and focus on not putting every single sword you see in your deck. You may be thinking "But then once I balance the deck, then its perfect" Wrong. You see, you will have the perfect deck, for a while, until you raise your class level and are aloud to have more cards in it. Don't try counting how many of each type of card you have in your deck, that never works, just see through trial and error. If you don't think your character is getting enough defense cards, put a few shields in their deck. What's even more original about this game is the hybrid of real time and turn based. At first you will have an infinite time to choose your cards. But then, as soon as you have to class level, you become timed. That's only on an offense turn, on a defense turn you always have limited time to choose a card to defend yourself with before the enemy attacks you. Also, when you are attacking enemies, you are aloud to use more than one card, depending on your class level. Huzzah! Finnally something with no catch. Being able to use more cards per turn! Of course, and I don't know why I have to say this, you only have a limited time to pick your next attack. So, quick quick, pick pick. It sounds complicated doesn't it? Well, it is. And every time you raise your class level, it obviously gets even more complicated. This game has no mercy on idiots, so if you want to use your brain until it melts, come here. Moving past the combat system, this is one of the most beautiful, if not the most beautiful game I have ever seen. Basicly, only the character models and moveable objects are 3D. The enviroments are hand painted. Which, as you can easily guess, has a big downside. You can't move the camera. It stays in one position until you go to the next area, so it can be annoying. Though, you'll easily be able to forgive the game because of it's pure beauty. The sound is very good. It's beautiful and realistic inside of battle. But outside of battle the sound of swords clanging can get monotonous. As you've probably heard, outside of the CG intro, the voices are awful. Do yourself a favor, as soon as you start playing the game. Turn them off. I'm not going to grade the sound down for that because it is very easy. Surprisingly, the unoptional voices in battle are done alot better. Alot better as in: They're only bad, not terrible. Though some of the more emotionless voices, like Kalas and Xelha, sound much, much better. Of course, I would give anything to just put Lyude on mute. His voice actor has the worst voice in the history of voice acting. The plot isn't the big deal here, but it is both stereotypical (Evil Empire) and highly original (The evil God swallowed the Whales!) At first, it isn't particularly interesting, but give it some time and you'll find that it is very emotional at points. Still, I think that it should have picked up a little sooner. (before disc 2!) Despite the fact that I think this game deserves an 8. I'm not going to tell you to go get it right now. You should really think about it, and definetely play it first. What this game offers is highly up to opinion. I'm just lucky I ended up liking it so much.
